The Courtship
by T.T. Darby
Summary: Completed. BB quests after an elusive Raven.
1. Preamble

I'm sorry to announce that I don't own the Teen Titans. I wrote this in about half an hour. It's a beginning, I guess.  
  
* * *  
  
"Gotcha again!" shouted Cyborg.  
  
"No fair!" yelled Beast Boy. "Robin walked in front of the screen."  
  
Robin flopped onto the couch.  
  
"I apologize, your highness," he said.  
  
"You're gonna make me lose!"  
  
"It'll be about time," said Cyborg. "I can't remember the last time I won, B.B."  
  
"That's cause it never happened."  
  
So continued another lazy afternoon at Titan Tower. Raven glanced up. She was having trouble concentrating on her book. Those boys had no consideration for others. Starfire was in her room, doing God-knows-what. Ah well, thought Raven. No better time to be alone.  
  
"I'll be outside," she said. She got no response – not that she expected any. Cyborg and Robin were now fighting over a controller. Raven walked out.  
  
Beast Boy watched her go. He might not get another chance.  
  
"I'm done," he said hastily. "See you guys around."  
  
"Fine," said Robin, grabbing the unused controller. "I'm in."  
  
Cyborg settled into his chair.  
  
"Bring it on."  
  
Beast Boy practically ran from the room. The two other Titans heard his yell echo faintly down the hallway:  
  
"Raven, wait up!"  
  
* * *  
  
Raven stopped on the stairs. Beast Boy ran up to her.  
  
"Yes?" she asked.  
  
Beast Boy paused. His throat suddenly went dry. All he could manage was to stare at Raven while he tried to regain his voice. He coughed.  
  
"Try not to die," muttered Raven. "You're too big for the trash can."  
  
Suddenly, it all came back. Beast Boy laughed.  
  
"Good one, Ray! Hey, listen –"  
  
The pause again. Raven started up the stairs.  
  
"No! Raven, wait up!" It was almost a whine.  
  
"Walk and talk."  
  
The door opened onto the roof. The setting sun tinted everything a deep red- orange. Beast Boy gawked. Man, he thought, she really is pretty. Here goes –  
  
"Are you doing anything Friday, Raven?"  
  
Raven turned.  
  
"I didn't have anything planned," she deadpanned.  
  
"Do you wanna, say, get a pizza or something? Friday? What do you say?"  
  
Raven looked at him blankly. She raised one eyebrow.  
  
"Like a date?"  
  
"I guess," said Beast Boy.  
  
"No thanks."  
  
Beast Boy stared. There it was – all the weeks spent agonizing, waiting for the moment, getting the courage to even ask. It was all wasted. It had taken five seconds. Finally, he came to himself:  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I'm not really the dating type," said Raven. "I need to control my emotions. You don't want to get involved with me."  
  
Beast Boy half-smiled.  
  
"Right." He studied the ground. "Good point. Some other time, maybe."  
  
Raven said nothing. Beast Boy went back into the half-darkness of the stairwell. As he approached Robin and Cyborg (still engrossed in their game), a shape came out of the darkness to his right.  
  
"Hello, friend Beast Boy!"  
  
Beast Boy jumped back. Starfire had nearly shouted in his ear.  
  
"Not the best time, Star."  
  
"What is wrong?"  
  
Beast Boy sighed.  
  
"Oh, nothing."  
  
"We are all friends here. You can tell me."  
  
"Don't worry about it, Star."  
  
Starfire looked at him for a moment.  
  
"Okay then." She was back to her normal self. "It's time for the evening meal! What shall we have?"  
  
Beast Boy smiled. Anything to occupy his mind. There was always tomorrow.  
  
"I'll get the tofu," he said.  
  
From the couch, Cyborg groaned. 


	2. The Mousetrap

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. But I could! If they were for sale, that is, and if I had money!  
  
To those of you who reviewed (as of this update):  
  
Estelar: Thanks. I can't really answer your question; being new to the fan- fiction world, I have yet to learn the jargon. I figure "fluffy" means some sort of romance being hinted at (i.e., not the "main" story). In that case, I say: I don't think so. But I don't really know what will happen. I guess it depends on what I want to write about. Also, someone should tell me what "fluffy" means.  
  
BlackShield: I don't really like sappy either. Hopefully it won't be. Oh, and thanks for the compliment. A few people in my English class said they liked my writing. I didn't really believe them. I'm not a great writer so much as a precise one. I guess that counts for something.  
  
Okay, on to the story:  
  
* * *  
  
"So that's my plan."  
  
Beast Boy spread his hands apart, waiting for a reaction. Robin, Starfire and Cyborg stared at him.  
  
"Well?" prompted the changeling.  
  
"You've had bad ideas before, B.B., but this one is really –"  
  
"I didn't say it was perfect, Cyborg!" This wasn't the reaction he was expecting. "We're just gonna try it, okay? It can't go too badly."  
  
"You really wanna do this?" asked Cyborg. He studied his arm.  
  
"You bet."  
  
"Then I'm gonna have some fun with it."  
  
"Whatever. Just don't mess it up."  
  
Robin put his arm around Starfire.  
  
"Star and I'll leave you to it," he said. They walked off.  
  
Beast Boy watched them go.  
  
"Beast Boy!" yelled Cyborg.  
  
"Huh?" Beast Boy looked over, reddening slightly.  
  
"I said, are you ready to do this?"  
  
Beast Boy gritted his teeth.  
  
"Hit me."  
  
"With pleasure."  
  
* * *  
  
Raven was on the roof again. It was nice to have a peaceful place; most of the time she could count on the other Titans to respect her privacy, but sometimes their company was just too much. Here she could be alone without being – away.  
  
She silently drank in the sounds of early afternoon: birds were chirping, bees were buzzing, blasters were blasting –  
  
Blasters? She frowned. A cry floated up to the roof:  
  
"Someone save my skin!"  
  
Classic Beast Boy. Raven stood and walked to the edge. Another shout:  
  
"Cyborg's gone insane!"  
  
Sure enough, Cyborg was yelling wildly as he took potshots at Beast Boy, who morphed rapidly to avoid them.  
  
Raven considered: Cyborg? Insane? That didn't make sense. It seemed too implausible, too –  
  
She narrowed her eyes as realization came.  
  
She'd have to ask Beast Boy for a copy of the script.  
  
Raven surveyed the scene. Robin and Starfire were conspicuously absent. She sighed. Looked like it was "up to her." She smiled inwardly. No one could say she wasn't ready to help.  
  
* * *  
  
Beast Boy saw a shape moving rapidly toward them. Was it her? He stopped, stared.  
  
"Uh, Cy, you –"  
  
A tree, evidently freshly uprooted and encased in black energy, smacked Cyborg in the back of the head. A second tree came rushing forward and knocked him onto his back. Meanwhile, the first tree continued forward, spinning rapidly end-over-end, and smashed into Beast Boy.  
  
Raven touched down and admired her handiwork. Both boys were stuck underneath some hefty oaks that, until recently, had grown nearby.  
  
Well, Cyborg was stuck, at least – a green mouse scurried out from beneath Beast Boy's tree, and then he was standing in front of her.  
  
Raven watched expectantly, waiting for his next line:  
  
"You saved my life," he managed.  
  
Pathetic.  
  
"You're welcome," said Raven. She turned on her heel.  
  
"Can't I even thank you?"  
  
"Oh no," she intoned. "Saving your life is reward enough."  
  
"Raven, wait up!" It was becoming Beast Boy's rallying cry.  
  
She rolled her eyes and levitated, returning to the roof and the peaceful sounds.  
  
Beast Boy walked inside, deep in thought.  
  
* * *  
  
Robin and Starfire returned some hours later to discover two trees in the yard.  
  
"That's weird," said Robin.  
  
"Yes," agreed Starfire. "We must ask the others about them."  
  
"I'm stuck under a tree," said Cyborg. 


	3. Word Games

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. Or do I? Answer to rhetorical question: no, I don't.  
  
* * *  
  
Beast Boy stormed into the room.  
  
"I get it, okay?"  
  
Raven, sitting on the couch, lowered her book.  
  
"What is it that you get?"  
  
"You don't want to be around me."  
  
"Apparently," said Raven, "you don't get it." She went back to her book. "Because you're still here."  
  
"Now that was really –"  
  
Beast Boy was up against the wall, but Raven was still sitting, expressionless as always. It was a metallic arm that pinned him.  
  
"Worst idea ever," spat Cyborg, leaning into Beast Boy's face. "Do you know how long I was out there? I was pinned under a stupid oak tree!"  
  
"Hey, Robin and Star came back," said Beast Boy weakly.  
  
"Good for me. Bad news for you, my green friend."  
  
"Knock it off, you guys," called Robin, as he and Starfire entered the common room.  
  
"Yes! Friends should not fight this way!" Starfire shouted. "Oh, Robin, what can we do?"  
  
"They'll get over it, Star," shrugged the Boy Wonder.  
  
"But we must help!" She stood a moment in thought. "I know!" She dashed off to her room.  
  
"I'm gonna hit the sack early," sighed Cyborg, releasing Beast Boy. "Let me tell you," he added pointedly, "being pinned under a tree sure takes a lot out of you."  
  
"Point taken," muttered Beast Boy. He rubbed his chest where he had been pinned.  
  
As Cyborg lumbered off, Beast Boy flopped onto the couch.  
  
"Can we just talk for a second?" he asked.  
  
Raven set down her book, the picture of inconvenience.  
  
"You have one second," she informed him. "Talk."  
  
"I know you –"  
  
"Time," said Raven quietly.  
  
"Stop it!" Beast Boy jumped up. "Stop doing that! It's driving me crazy! Just . . . humor me, please. Just listen." He breathed out heavily. He sat again and racked his brain for an idea, any idea. One came to him – though not a good one. "Let's do a word association."  
  
Raven raised an eyebrow.  
  
Robin chuckled.  
  
"Careful, Doctor Freud," he called.  
  
"Shut up," snapped Beast Boy. "Ready?"  
  
"If you say so," said Raven.  
  
"Okay, the first word –"  
  
"Found it!" shouted Starfire. "This will cheer us up! I wrote a poem extolling our friendship!"  
  
Robin stared in horror at the stack of paper in Starfire's hands. Two hours, easy. The other two took no notice.  
  
"Light," said Beast Boy.  
  
"Dark," replied Raven, showing no emotion.  
  
"My feelings for you know no bounds," began Starfire. "They're larger than a balhorf's grenadowns."  
  
Robin tiptoed to the exit.  
  
"Beast Boy," said Beast Boy, dispensing with the pleasantries.  
  
Raven sat expressionless.  
  
"Death."  
  
Beast Boy blinked.  
  
"We always help each other out . . ."  
  
"Raven."  
  
"If you need me, well, just shout."  
  
"Death."  
  
"We love each other oh so much," read Starfire. "Just like a grabhall with its hutch."  
  
"Date."  
  
Raven leaned forward, locking eyes with Beast Boy.  
  
"Kill."  
  
A knife in the kitchen rattled ominously. Beast Boy gulped.  
  
"That's enough," he said finally. "I'm going to bed."  
  
"Hm."  
  
Beast Boy started down the hallway. Starfire looked pained.  
  
"Will no one listen to my poem?" she wailed.  
  
Raven glanced up from her book.  
  
"Cyborg hasn't heard it."  
  
"Well, he must," said the alien indignantly. She strode off to Cyborg's room.  
  
The room was quiet. Raven took advantage of the moment to think:  
  
What was Beast Boy's problem? Couldn't he see? It was just impossible. She couldn't get involved with him. It wasn't a question of wanting.  
  
She went back to the book.  
  
No, she decided. He couldn't see. 


	4. Damage Assessment

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. In a way, they belong to all of us.  
  
* * *  
  
Beast Boy was in his room, alone with his thoughts. He was still reeling from the surprisingly vicious word-association exercise he and Raven had shared.  
  
"Kill?" he grumbled. "What kind of an answer is that?"  
  
He flopped face-down on his bed.  
  
He thought he had understood: Raven didn't want to be near him. The exercise certainly seemed to confirm that. So the problem was on his end.  
  
Why couldn't he stop pursuing her? It was obvious he was getting nowhere. He should just give up. But somehow, it didn't seem right. Or fair.  
  
A knock at the door jolted him out of this reverie.  
  
"Come," he yelled into his pillow.  
  
The door squeaked on its hinge.  
  
"Shot down, eh?"  
  
Beast Boy sat up.  
  
"You were listening?" he nearly shouted, his rage evident.  
  
"Sorry, Beast Boy," said Robin, holding his hands out in a gesture of peace. "If you wanted privacy, you could have asked."  
  
"It doesn't matter," muttered Beast Boy, falling backward onto the bed again. "Anyway, yes. Shot down. What's it to you?"  
  
"I just wanted to see that you're alright."  
  
"Sure. Peachy."  
  
Robin cleared his throat. Apparently, he had been rehearsing this scene.  
  
"I hope your feelings for Raven won't compromise our crime-fighting," he said cautiously.  
  
"You and me both."  
  
Robin paused again.  
  
"Isn't there any way you could, you know, just put it behind you?"  
  
"Don't you think I've tried?" Beast Boy was on his feet. He grabbed Robin's tunic. "I loved her the moment I saw her. Yes, I know, cliché city, but it's true. Well, for a long time I didn't say anything. But yesterday, I couldn't hold it in any more." He sighed. "You have no idea what it's like."  
  
Robin racked his brain for something reassuring to say.  
  
"We'll figure this out eventually."  
  
Beast Boy clasped his shoulders.  
  
"That's the spirit! She'll have to give in eventually."  
  
"That wasn't quite what I meant."  
  
"Quiet, man! I have serious planning to do." 


	5. The Negotiator

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. In all probability, neither do you.  
  
* * *  
  
"Come on."  
  
"No."  
  
"Please?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Pretty please?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Pretty please with a big scoop of sugar, cherries, assorted dried fruit –"  
  
"No."  
  
Robin turned up his stereo. Beast Boy had been at this almost three hours, and Raven showed no signs of giving in. In a way, it was impressive: Robin never would have expected Beast Boy, with his notoriously short attention span, to be so driven.  
  
"What if I –"  
  
"No."  
  
Beast Boy and Raven might be content with this give-and-take, but Robin was certain that if it continued, he would be driven slowly insane.  
  
"Come on."  
  
"No."  
  
Ugh. Beast Boy was repeating himself again.  
  
"Just once."  
  
"No."  
  
"Please?"  
  
"Stop!" Robin jumped between the two. "Just give it up, won't you?"  
  
Beast Boy set his jaw.  
  
"I won't give it up."  
  
"Whatever," said Raven.  
  
"You're driving me crazy," said Robin, almost yelling now. "I'm begging you." He thought better of it. "I'm the leader here. I'm ordering you to resolve this, and that's a direct order! You'll follow it!"  
  
"Whoa, chill out, Robin," said Beast Boy. "Didn't know you felt that way."  
  
"Well, I do. Stop it."  
  
"Hey, if Raven would just agree –"  
  
"No."  
  
"See?" wailed Beast Boy.  
  
"Don't try to pin this on me," said Raven. "You're the one perpetuating this farce."  
  
Beast Boy gave her a blank look.  
  
"Okay," he said finally, "I'm gonna go get a dictionary, and when I do, you're gonna be sorry you said that."  
  
"I don't doubt it," said the girl, leaning to pick up a book.  
  
* * *  
  
"Way to go, Robin," complained Beast Boy. The two were in Beast Boy's room. "Couldn't you see she was wearing down? I almost had her, man."  
  
"I don't care," snapped Robin. "This has got to stop."  
  
"And how am I supposed to stop?" Beast Boy was near tears. "I explained this to you. I can't stop. It's her fault. Convince her," he added finally.  
  
It took a moment for this to sink in.  
  
"What?" cried Robin. "No thanks. I'm not taking the fall on this one."  
  
"You have to," pleaded Beast Boy. "You said you want to stop this. Well, it's up to you."  
  
Robin sighed.  
  
"I'll see what I can do," he said. "But no promises."  
  
* * *  
  
Robin sat in the kitchen, absently working on a glass of water. He stared at the back of Raven's hood that showed over the couch. How did he get roped into this? He thought Raven's position was pretty clear. What did Beast Boy expect him to do? He made his way to the couch without much enthusiasm, racking his brain for some sort of opening line.  
  
"Um," he said.  
  
Raven glanced up. Silence hung in the air. Great conversation, Robin. She turned back to her book.  
  
"Can we talk, Raven?"  
  
A small sigh escaped the half-daemon's lips. She put down the book.  
  
"Well?" she prompted.  
  
"It's about Beast Boy," continued Robin. He was never much for subtlety.  
  
"What about him?"  
  
"Well, he – he really wants to go out with you."  
  
"So I've noticed."  
  
"I suppose you don't want his company?"  
  
Raven sighed.  
  
"It has nothing to do with wanting."  
  
"Yeah, but –"  
  
"I just can't."  
  
"Look," said Robin. He didn't really want to go this route, but what else was there? "It would really help out the team."  
  
Raven raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Help out the team?"  
  
"This fixation he has – it's distracting."  
  
"True."  
  
"Do you think you could – pacify him?"  
  
Raven stood.  
  
"I don't do pity dates," she said, as she walked toward her room.  
  
Robin watched her leave.  
  
"You're letting down the team!" he yelled. "I hope you know that!"  
  
He got no response. He sighed and sat on the couch. How would he tell Beast Boy? 


	6. Girl Talk

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. You probably knew that.  
  
* * *  
  
Raven sat in her room, trying to clear her head.  
  
Couldn't they just drop it? It was bad enough to have Beast Boy following her all day long; now Robin had got into the act. What was next? Threats from Cyborg? They were all blind. But how could she be any clearer?  
  
"Raven?" The voice floated in from the hallway. "Are you okay?"  
  
Raven glared at the door in annoyance. She wanted to be alone, but she was certain Starfire would keep pestering her until she responded. Oh well. At least it wasn't one of the guys.  
  
"Hold on," she said, and walked toward the door. If Starfire was going to cheer her up with a Poem of Unlimited Joy, they could do it elsewhere. Her room didn't need any joy.  
  
Raven opened the door and fixed Starfire with a questioning glance.  
  
"I just wanted to see that you are well," explained the alien. "Is there anything we can talk about?"  
  
"I don't think so."  
  
"Oh, but something is bothering you! Robin says the talking-it-out is the best way to solve problems," insisted Starfire. "Of course, there is always the kicking of butt," she added.  
  
Raven gave a half-hearted smile:  
  
"That wouldn't work in this case."  
  
"Then we must talk. Come!" cried Starfire, grabbing Raven by the wrist and nearly dragging her down the hallway.  
  
A few moments later, they were situated in Starfire's room: Starfire was sprawled over the bed, and Raven was sitting in the middle of the floor, evidently trying to avoid being tainted by the joyful atmosphere.  
  
"Tell me what's troubling you, friend Raven."  
  
It was clear to Raven that stonewalling would get her nowhere.  
  
"It's Beast Boy," she said, hoping she wouldn't have to elaborate.  
  
"Is he serving tofu again? I have told him that I shall be the cook here."  
  
"It's not that," said Raven. Time to spell it out. "He wants to go on a date with me."  
  
"And you do not want this?"  
  
Starfire was just as bad as the rest, reflected Raven.  
  
"It's not about wanting," she explained for the third time. "You know how emotion affects my powers. I can't get involved."  
  
Thankfully, Starfire seemed to understand.  
  
"Then you should explain it to them."  
  
"Tried it."  
  
Starfire thought for a moment.  
  
"Together, we can convince them!"  
  
Raven's eyes widened imperceptibly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Not now, friend Raven! I am concocting a glorious plan!"  
  
Before she knew what was happening, Raven was in the hallway. A low giggling could be heard in Starfire's room.  
  
As she went back toward her room, Raven grew worried:  
  
Robin and Beast Boy were arguing one side. She and Starfire were allies against it. There was no question: this divisive issue was trouble for the Teen Titans. And there was only one factor left.  
  
Raven turned from her doorway. Her expressionless face betrayed none of the determination she felt inside.  
  
She walked toward Cyborg's room. 


	7. The Reluctant Ally

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. Sorry.  
  
* * *  
  
Beast Boy barely looked up as Robin entered the room.  
  
"Well?" he asked pathetically.  
  
"Beast Boy, I –"  
  
"Forget it. I heard you yelling."  
  
"I'm sorry, B.B."  
  
"Shot down, eh?" Beast Boy had a kind of sad smile on his face. "I'm ruined. How can I go on like this?"  
  
"I'm telling you, you've got to put it behind you."  
  
"Robin," said Beast Boy, "you're a heck of a crime-fighter."  
  
Robin smiled.  
  
"But you don't know beans about love."  
  
"You call this love? Then God forbid I should ever love anyone."  
  
"Get serious for a second!"  
  
Robin broke into his best Shakespearean accent.  
  
"You've quelled the passionate fire in my breast! I shall never love again," he declared.  
  
Beast Boy was laughing despite himself.  
  
"This is just something I want. Something I've always wanted," he managed between chuckles.  
  
Robin was back to his normal self:  
  
"You feel pretty strongly about this."  
  
"That's an understatement, I think," said Beast Boy.  
  
"We'll figure this out," said Robin in what he hoped was his most reassuring voice.  
  
Beast Boy smiled. "You're darn right we will. You're a good friend."  
  
The Boy Wonder felt a slight pain in his stomach.  
  
"But we need help," continued Beast Boy. "We need some way to catch her totally off-guard. I'll be back."  
  
With that, he got up and disappeared down the hallway toward Cyborg's quarters.  
  
* * *  
  
"You're asking me for help? Let me grab a pencil. 'Dear Diary: today Raven asked for help . . .'"  
  
"Would it be too much to ask for an answer?"  
  
Cyborg paused in the middle of his repartee. He narrowed his organic eye.  
  
"What kind of help?"  
  
Raven took a moment to compose herself. She wasn't used to opening up to people. She shook her head. This wasn't opening up. This wasn't about emotion. This was strategy. War.  
  
"Beast Boy wants to date me. Starfire is helping me to convince him otherwise," she said simply. "But Robin's on his side. We want you to join us."  
  
Cyborg sat heavily on a reinforced chair.  
  
"I dunno, Ray. B.B.'s a friend of mine."  
  
"Let me explain: this date will not happen. I've decided that much. The problem is, he won't take no for an answer."  
  
"He sounds committed," said Cyborg.  
  
"You have no idea."  
  
"So you're looking for some persuasion power?"  
  
"Starfire's drawing up a plan. We'd like to have your confidence."  
  
"Well, I –"  
  
Beast Boy burst into the room.  
  
"This way, Cy, we can't lose a minute," he said, grabbing Cyborg's arm and using all his strength in an attempt to pry him from the chair.  
  
Cyborg stood, more to stop the changeling from hanging on him than from any compulsion to move.  
  
"Come on, Cyborg. You need to be part of our think tank," tried Beast Boy.  
  
"What's the rush?" asked Cyborg.  
  
Suddenly spying Raven, Beast Boy lowered his voice.  
  
"I can't alk-tay ow-nay," he whispered.  
  
"He wants to date me," supplied Raven.  
  
"Oh, thanks a lot!" Beast Boy turned to Cyborg. "I guess secrecy isn't an issue. Anyway, come on."  
  
Cyborg slowly moved to follow him out of the room. Beast Boy was a friend of his, after all. Well, he thought, he'd play along.  
  
Cyborg kept his eyes on Raven as he walked from the room. She was expressionless, as always, but he was not.  
  
Raven walked back to her own room. There was nothing to do now but wait for Starfire to show up. Cyborg was not on their side, but she recognized the emotion that had crossed his face: it was reluctance.  
  
That sealed it. They had an ally in the enemy camp. 


	8. Intervention

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. So stop asking me for them.  
  
* * *  
  
A knock at the door pulled Raven from her meditation.  
  
"Friend Raven, it is I! I have the plan," called Starfire.  
  
Raven opened the door and stepped into the hallway.  
  
"Let's hear it," she said.  
  
"Gladly!" Starfire produced a piece of paper covered in pencil marks, which turned out to be a neatly drawn map of Titan Tower. "We shall divide and conquer," explained Starfire, "and we shall be victorious! I shall lure Robin into the common room, here" – she indicated on the map – "and keep him occupied."  
  
Raven raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Occupied?"  
  
"Meanwhile," continued Starfire, "you will concern yourself with their leader: Beast Boy. You two will be alone. And you w ill convince him."  
  
"Starfire, I don't think –"  
  
"We cannot fail," insisted the alien.  
  
"Do you believe Beast Boy will listen to me?"  
  
"He must, for he will have no distractions. Oh! I had almost forgotten –"  
  
She fell silent as Cyborg rounded the corner.  
  
"Hello, ladies," he said.  
  
"Thanks for coming," said Raven.  
  
Starfire was silent. Raven turned to her.  
  
"Cyborg's on our side," she explained.  
  
Starfire clapped her hands.  
  
"Glorious! Our victory is assured."  
  
"I'm glad you have such confidence in me," said Cyborg. "I'm just here to report. I've only got a few minutes – B.B. thinks I'm in the bathroom." He paused. "I'm worried about him. He's pacing around his room, coming up with this plan. Robin and I tried to calm him down – that's another thing: I think Robin's with us. At least, he wasn't as enthusiastic as Beast Boy."  
  
"Four against one," said Raven. "Good odds."  
  
"Listen," continued Cyborg. "I don't know how B.B.'s gonna take this. I mean, he's more committed to this than I've ever seen him." He smiled ruefully. "Even at videogames."  
  
"It needs to be done," said Raven simply. "It's settled: we'll use superior numbers. Starfire and I will be in the common room in ten minutes," she advised Cyborg. "All you need to do is get Beast Boy and Robin there."  
  
"Leave it to me," said Cyborg. He walked back to Beast Boy's room.  
  
* * *  
  
Raven and Starfire were sitting in the common room. The alien had her hands between her knees and a look of determination on her face, but Raven could tell she was worried about the upcoming scene.  
  
Despite her impassive look, Raven was certain she was more nervous than Starfire. Was this such a good idea? Cyborg had seemed concerned. Raven breathed deeply, trying to regain her confidence. Beast Boy deserves it, she thought. After all, he was the one who kept –  
  
Beast Boy's voice interrupted her thoughts:  
  
"Why are we going this way?"  
  
"I'm gonna run an analysis on your plan," explained Cyborg smoothly.  
  
"Oh," said Beast Boy. "That's a good idea, I guess."  
  
Beast Boy, Cyborg and Robin entered the common room. Beast Boy stopped dead.  
  
"What're they doing here?" he asked, indicating the two girls.  
  
Cyborg put his arm around Beast Boy.  
  
"Have a seat," he said.  
  
Beast Boy looked up at him.  
  
"Is this a joke? What's going on?" He narrowed his eyes. "Alright. I'll play along." He walked slowly over and sat on the couch. Cyborg stood behind the couch and rested his hands on Beast Boy's shoulders as if to keep him in the seat. Robin seated himself in a nearby chair to watch the scene unfold.  
  
Raven cleared her throat quietly. She stood.  
  
"Beast Boy, we need to talk," she said.  
  
"You changed your mind?" asked the changeling hopefully.  
  
Raven ignored him.  
  
"It does not matter what I want," she said. "That is what you need to understand. I am doing what's best for the team. My powers –"  
  
"Best for the team?" interrupted Beast Boy. "Not according to Robin!" He blinked back a tear and twisted his neck wildly, searching for the Boy Wonder. "Tell her, Robin," he said when he found him.  
  
Robin sat in silence, his mouth slightly open.  
  
"Robin, back me up here," pleaded Beast Boy. He jumped to his feet. Cyborg, surprised, let him stand. "Say what you said!" shouted Beast Boy.  
  
"Beast Boy, I –" began Robin meekly.  
  
"Say it! Tell them!"  
  
"I was wrong, Beast Boy."  
  
Beast Boy stood transfixed, his eyes wide. He could not stop another tear, which rolled down his cheek.  
  
"Traitor," he said quietly. All at once, he wheeled on Cyborg. "And you?" he cried, near hysterics. "You're on my side. Tell them."  
  
"Calm down, man," tried Cyborg.  
  
"No!"  
  
"You gotta listen to Raven."  
  
"Yes, friend Beast Boy," began Starfire.  
  
"Shut up!" howled the changeling. "Shut up, all of you! You're all against me! I should have known!" He tore from the room.  
  
The four Titans stood in silence.  
  
"I tried to warn you," said Cyborg quietly. He left for his room.  
  
Starfire left next, trying in vain to hold back a sob.  
  
"Raven –" began Robin.  
  
"I need to finish this on my own," interrupted the half-daemon.  
  
Robin nodded numbly. Raven strode out.  
  
Alone in the common room, Robin lay on the couch. He was alone with the truth he didn't want to face:  
  
The Teen Titans were tearing apart. 


	9. Showdown

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. For a list of other things I don't own, please ask.  
  
* * *  
  
Raven walked toward Beast Boy's room. She was concerned – she could feel the anger in the back of her mind, waiting to spring forward.  
  
What was wrong with Beast Boy? He wasn't even listening. Just because it's something you don't want to hear, reflected Raven, that doesn't mean you should ignore it. Why was he so stubborn?  
  
Reaching the entrance to Beast Boy's room, she knocked. A minute's wait provided no response.  
  
"Beast Boy?" she called softly. "Are you in there?"  
  
Again, there was nothing but silence in the room.  
  
It was just as well, decided Raven. This discussion would be easier once she had calmed down, anyway. With that in mind, she decided to go to the roof to meditate in the company of the sun's last rays.  
  
Raven opened the door to the roof and cringed slightly – the setting sun shone right into her eyes. She blinked away the discomfort and surveyed the roof: there was no one. She settled into a lotus position and closed her eyes.  
  
Raven was roused by a rustling sound nearby. She opened one eye to see a sparrow perched on the edge of the roof, not five feet away from her. This was not a normal sparrow, she gathered: it was green.  
  
"Heya, Ray," said Beast Boy sadly, having returned to his normal form.  
  
Raven looked at him. Even in the low light, she could see that his eyes were rimmed with red.  
  
"I guess I overreacted in there," he continued. "A little. But I'm okay. I needed a few minutes alone, you know?"  
  
"I do know," said Raven.  
  
"Yeah," said Beast Boy, managing a smile, "I thought you might."  
  
"So you're calm?"  
  
"More or less."  
  
Raven took a breath. This was probably her best chance.  
  
"Will you let me explain?" she asked.  
  
"Explain away," said Beast Boy.  
  
"Emotions affect my powers," began Raven, watching him carefully. "Intense emotional events tend to make me lose control. The best thing for the team," she said, "would be for me to have complete control of my powers. The best way for that to happen is for me to be emotionally detached. That's what I meant," she concluded.  
  
A pause.  
  
"Ah," said Beast Boy, filling the silence.  
  
"It's nothing about you as Beast Boy," pressed Raven. "It's not as if I'm waiting for Robin to ask me out. Or Cyborg."  
  
"I would think not," said Beast Boy. "Who in their right mind would pick Cyborg over me?" He smiled slightly. He had made the joke, it seemed, out of sheer habit.  
  
"That's the best explanation I can give."  
  
Beast Boy studied a pebble.  
  
"Thanks," he said. "I guess I should explain, too, eh?"  
  
"You don't have to," said Raven.  
  
"I think I should."  
  
He took a breath.  
  
"Raven, I love you."  
  
This took a moment to register.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I love you. I always have. You think I'd go this ballistic over a date? Trust me: if I asked Star, and she rejected me, I'd shrug it off. With you, it's different."  
  
"You – love me?"  
  
"It sounds ridiculous, I know, but –"  
  
"It's not ridiculous. In fact," said Raven, "it explains a lot."  
  
"Well," sighed Beast Boy, "I guess it's unrequited love."  
  
Raven raised an eyebrow.  
  
"'Unrequited'? Did you look that up just for me?"  
  
Beast Boy looked defensive.  
  
"Maybe."  
  
The beginnings of a smile on Raven's face abruptly faded.  
  
"I can't," she said. "I can't love you. It's impossible."  
  
Beast Boy looked at her.  
  
"I know. I get it. But," he added, "I can't not love you."  
  
Raven said nothing.  
  
The half-daemon and the changeling watched the red disk of the sun slip below the horizon.  
  
"The others are worried," observed Raven.  
  
"Let's go in," agreed Beast Boy. "Anyway, they already know. I told 'em."  
  
"You told them you love me?"  
  
The two headed for the door.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"And you didn't tell me."  
  
Beast Boy was silent.  
  
In the stairwell, he suddenly spoke:  
  
"But as long you know, I'm not gonna hide it," he said.  
  
Raven noted his tone had returned to its normal setting: annoying.  
  
"It'll be great," continued Beast Boy. "I'll write you notes and put chocolates on your pillow –"  
  
"Enter my room and die," said Raven.  
  
"Aw, you're just saying that."  
  
Raven sighed inwardly. Things were getting back to normal.  
  
Great. 


End file.
